Hybrid aircraft propulsion power plants

Abstract

An aircraft power plant has a hybrid propulsion system having an electric motor, an output shaft drivingly connectable to a thrust generator, a combustion engine, a compressor, and a planetary gear train having an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) mode in which the electric motor is in driving engagement with the compressor via the planetary gear train while the combustion engine is disengaged from the output shaft, and a propulsion mode in which the combustion engine and the electric motor are in driving engagement with the output shaft via the planetary gear train.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An aircraft power plant comprising a hybrid propulsion system having an electric motor, an output shaft drivingly connectable to a thrust generator, a combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber of varying volume, a compressor, and a planetary gear train having an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) mode in which the electric motor is in driving engagement with the compressor via the planetary gear train while the combustion engine is disengaged from the output shaft, and a propulsion mode in which the combustion engine and the electric motor are in driving engagement with the output shaft via the planetary gear train and in which the combustion engine and the electric motor both provide motive power to the output shaft. 
     
     
       2. The aircraft power plant of  claim 1 , wherein the planetary gear train defines a first input drivingly engageable to the electric motor, a second input drivingly engageable to the combustion engine, a first output drivingly engageable to the compressor, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft, the first input drivingly engaged to the first output while being disengaged from the second output in the APU mode, the second input in driving engagement with the second output in the propulsion mode. 
     
     
       3. The aircraft power plant of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second inputs are in driving engagement with the first and second outputs in the propulsion mode. 
     
     
       4. The aircraft power plant of  claim 2 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a brake for engaging the first input to the output shaft in the propulsion mode. 
     
     
       5. The aircraft power plant of  claim 2 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rotatably supported on a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the first input and the first output defined by a first one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input and the second output defined by a second one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, rotation of a third one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear being limited in the propulsion mode and allowed in the APU mode. 
     
     
       6. The aircraft power plant of  claim 2 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rotatably supported on a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the first input, the first output, and the second input are defined by a first one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second output defined by a second one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, rotation of a third one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear being limited in the propulsion mode and allowed in the APU mode. 
     
     
       7. The aircraft power plant of  claim 6 , wherein the second input is in driving engageable to the combustion engine via a one-way clutch such that, in the APU mode, the second input is disengaged from the combustion engine. 
     
     
       8. The aircraft power plant of  claim 6 , wherein the second input is in driving engageable to the combustion engine via a clutch having an engaged configuration in which the combustion engine is drivingly engaged to the second input and a disengaged configuration in which the combustion engine is disengaged from the second input. 
     
     
       9. The aircraft power plant of  claim 1 , wherein the planetary gear train includes first and second planetary gearboxes drivingly engaged to one another, the first planetary gear box having a first sun gear, first planet gears meshed with the first sun gear and rotatably supported on a first planet carrier, and a first ring gear meshed with the first planet gears, the second planetary gearbox including a second sun gear, second planet gears meshed with the second sun gear and rotatably supported on a second planet carrier, and a second ring gear meshed with the second planet gears, the electric motor and the compressor drivingly engaged to the first planetary gearbox, the combustion engine drivingly engaged to the second planetary gearbox, a braking system operable in a first configuration corresponding to the APU mode and a second configuration corresponding to the propulsion mode. 
     
     
       10. The aircraft power plant of  claim 9 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the first sun gear, the first sun gear drivingly engaged to the second sun gear via a common shaft, the combustion engine drivingly engaged to the second ring gear, the output shaft drivingly engaged to the first carrier. 
     
     
       11. The aircraft power plant of  claim 9 , wherein the electric motor and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the first ring gear, the first ring gear drivingly engaged to the second ring gear, the combustion engine drivingly engaged to the second carrier, the output shaft drivingly engaged to the first carrier. 
     
     
       12. The aircraft power plant of  claim 11 , wherein the first ring gear and the second ring gear are two portions of a common ring gear. 
     
     
       13. The aircraft power plant of  claim 11 , wherein the first ring gear is drivingly engaged to the second ring gear via idler gears. 
     
     
       14. The aircraft power plant of  claim 10 , wherein the braking system includes a first brake operatively connected to the first ring gear, a second brake operatively connected to the first carrier, a third brake operatively connected to the second ring gear and a fourth brake operatively connected to the second carrier. 
     
     
       15. An aircraft power plant comprising a hybrid propulsion system having an electric motor, an output shaft drivingly connectable to a thrust generator, a combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber of varying volume, a compressor, and a planetary gear train operatively connected to the electric motor, the output shaft, the combustion engine, and the compressor, the planetary gear train defining first and second drive paths, the combustion engine drivingly engageable to the output shaft via the first drive path, the electric motor drivingly engageable to the compressor via the second drive path, the planetary gear train having an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) configuration in which the output shaft is disengaged from both of the first and second drive paths and in which a rotational input of the electric motor is transmitted to the compressor via the second drive path and in a propelling configuration in which the output shaft is drivingly engaged to the combustion engine via the first drive path and in which the first drive path is driving ly engaged to the second drive path and in which the combustion engine and the electric motor both provide motive power to the output shaft. 
     
     
       16. The aircraft power plant of  claim 15 , wherein the planetary gear train defines a first input drivingly engageable to the combustion engine, a second input drivingly engaged to the electric motor, a first output in driving engagement with the output shaft, and a second output in driving engagement with the compressor, the first drive path extending from the first input to the first output, the second drive path extending from the second input to the second output, the second input drivingly engaged to the second output while being disengaged from the first output in the APU configuration, the first input in driving engagement with the first output in the propelling configuration. 
     
     
       17. The aircraft power plant of  claim 16 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rotatably supported on a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the first input and the first output defined by a first one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, the second input and the second output defined by a second one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear, rotation of a third one of the sun gear, the planet carrier, and the ring gear being limited in the propelling configuration and allowed in the APU configuration. 
     
     
       18. The aircraft power plant of  claim 15 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rotatably supported on a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the output shaft drivingly engaged to the carrier, the first drive path including the carrier, the second drive path including the ring gear, a brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the sun gear is limited in the propelling configuration and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the sun gear is allowed in the APU configuration. 
     
     
       19. The aircraft power plant of  claim 15 , wherein the planetary gear train includes a sun gear, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and rotatably supported on a planet carrier, and a ring gear meshed with the planet gears, the output shaft drivingly engaged to the carrier, the first drive path including the ring gear and the carrier, the second drive path including the ring gear, a brake having an engaged configuration in which rotation of the sun gear is limited in the propelling configuration and a disengaged configuration in which rotation of the sun gear is allowed in the APU configuration. 
     
     
       20. The aircraft power plant of  claim 17 , further comprising a one-way clutch between the combustion engine and the ring gear.